Venom's Alliance: Loyalty's Fracture

Chapter 17

Easton's POV:

As we walked through the airport, heading toward my new private jet for our honeymoon, I couldn't shake the feeling that the woman beside me was a stranger. My world felt chaotic, like she was just another face in the crowd.

Everything seemed fine until that night at the bar. Reality started breaking my illusions, showing a flaw in my plan that I hadn't seen before. Kalia was becoming less like Ariana every day, and the irritation inside me was getting harder to control.

Physically, she looked like Ariana, but that was where the similarities ended. I tolerated her outbursts, her avoidance, the way she was always unhappy and distant, the way she withheld affection from me but craved attention from others—even showing off her body in front of my friends. Because she was mine; she was my gift from Ariana.

Every day, it felt like something was off, like a piece of the puzzle was missing from our connection. There was no longer that eager anticipation to see her, to feel her beside me. Her skin no longer felt familiar, her eyes didn't spark the desire they once did, and her perfume lacked the sweet allure it once held. It was like the passion that once bound us had faded into the shadows.

I realized I didn't crave her closeness anymore. I wasn't driven to kiss her at every chance. My desire for her had faded, overshadowed by thoughts of another woman who consumed my mind day and night since that night.

Maybe it was because she was so distant toward me, or maybe because Lili told me how much she loved me. Either way, I convinced myself that if Kalia and I spent more time alone together, we could reignite the love I once felt. That's why we were on our way to a honeymoon. I wished I could go back to the dream I was living before Lili walked into that bar. She waltzed in and completely threw me off balance. I hadn't doubted my feelings for Kalia until then.

Lili's voice echoed in my mind: "To make me yours. I only wanted to be yours."

I closed my eyes, remembering when Lili came to see me. I still remember how tightly she hugged me, almost in tears when she saw me hurt. No one had ever cried for me or seemed so worried about losing me, not even my own parents when I left home at 15. But Lili did. She held me close and told me how much she loved me and how, if she lost me, she would die. If I closed my eyes, I could still recall the scent of her vanilla perfume and the softness of her skin against mine during that embrace. And before I knew it, her lips were on mine as we got lost in each other for a while, not caring about anything or anyone. It was like she and I were the only people on earth—an unforgettable kiss. We were like two pieces of a puzzle that fit perfectly together. I stopped before it escalated, but the temptation lingered.

The taste of Lili's lips stayed in my memory, a bittersweet reminder of the forbidden desire that had sparked between us.

As I wrestled with these thoughts, doubt gnawed at me. Lili seemed to offer that love, that sense of belonging, in a way Kalia never could. Maybe embracing Lili would give me the love and satisfaction I'd been searching for. Or perhaps she was just a temporary distraction until Kalia realized I was the one for her, making her warm and loving towards me again and making me want to go back to her

Either way, I knew two things: one, I couldn't give up on Kalia, since she was my way of keeping Ariana with me, even if she wasn't acting like Ariana. Maybe with time, she would come around and see things my way. And two, I wanted Lili in a way I couldn't describe, and until I got what I wanted, I couldn't settle.

Kalia and I settled into an uncomfortable silence. She was absorbed in her book, while I was lost in thoughts about the woman driving me crazy—my best friend's wife. The idea of this honeymoon suddenly felt unbearable. Maybe I could cut it short and meet Lili. That way, Kalia could enjoy her holiday, and I could satisfy my craving, maybe reigniting my attraction to Kalia again. Perhaps her rejection was why I didn't feel the connection anymore, but once I got my needs met, I could go back to her.